THE U.S. CHAMPIONSHIP

IT’S BEEN A LONG WINTER HERE. RAIN HAS BEEN FALLING IN ANOTHER ‘ATMOSPHERIC RIVER’ TODAY IN THE BAY AREA AS WE PUT THE FINISHING TOUCHES ON THIS MONTH’S ISSUE OF POLO LIFESTYLES. IT’S APROPOS THEN, THAT OUR WINE FEATURE IS ON THE RAVAGE THAT EXCESSIVE AND DEADLY RAINS HAVE HAD ON NAPA AND SONOMA COUNTIES’ PRODUCTION OF WINE. IN NAPA, THERE WAS SNOW ON THE GROUND IN MARCH. SNOW. ON. THE. GROUND.

Polo is a weather-dependent sport. While baseball and (American) football have turf fields, we play polo on grass, on snow, in sand and on dirt. We don’t just need sunny days to play, but we need agreeable weather to ensure the quality of the field for the safety of the players. We’ve all watched snow and beach polo tournaments played in conditions the ponies can barely function in. We stomp the divots at halftime because it’s fun and gets us out of our chairs, but also to return the field to a playable condition.

New Zealand, a country also being pummeled by storm after storm, has canceled some of their biggest tournaments due to inclement conditions. Neither the NZ BMW Polo Open nor Urban Polo will be played this season in Auckland. After dealing with the fallout of a global pandemic that strongly affected New Zealand’s tourism industry, this year – a rebuilding year – the weather simply didn’t allow polo to happen. Our hearts go out to the organizers in Auckland, whose agony over canceling tournaments we may never fully know.

But alas, it’s not all bad news. In fact, one of our favorite stories this month comes from the world of artificial intelligence (A.I.). Scientists using A.I. at the University of Toronto developed a treatment for cancer within 30 days of beginning their study. The same A.I. has also been able to accurately predict survival rates of cancer patients. A.I. is doing in 30 days’ time what scientists in laboratories haven’t been able to do in generations. Will A.I. be able to eradicate the C word though? We’ll be following that story for you.

Thankfully, we also have gorgeous photos from Wellington, Jaipur and Dubai to remind us that spring and summer are on the horizon for us and soon, I’ll store my down vests and rain boots until it’s time to pull them out again in November or December. Until then, I’ll remind myself that we need the rain.

Best,

Josh Jakobitz josh@pololifestyles.com

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LIGHTING AND FRAGRANCE SUBTLY SOOTHE YOU.

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THE GAUNTLET OF POLO U.S. OPEN POLO CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL PARK PLACE 12 / 11 VALIENTE

WELLINGTON, FLA. – On March 26, 2023, the second leg of the Gauntlet of Polo culminated in the USPA Gold Cup Final. The distinguished competition found defending champions Pilot (Curtis Pilot, Matias Gonzalez, Matias Torres Zavaleta, Facundo Pieres) battling 2021 USPA Gold Cup victors Scone (David Paradice, Cody Ellis*, Poroto Cambiaso, Pelon Stirling, sub. Tomas Panelo). Meeting for the second time in the Gauntlet of Polo this year, the final offered an explosive rematch of the very first game of the C.V. Whitney Cup that ultimately took Scone out of contention in the first leg of the series.

A lowscoring final, Scone’s fourth chukker momentum ultimately created enough space to ward off threats of a Pilot comeback. As the final horn sounded, the team in red held to an 8-6 lead, marking their first Gauntlet title since 2021. Along with the trophy, Scone was awarded $50,000 in prize money. The win also marked the continued Cambiaso domination across the Gauntlet of Polo, as now both Adolfo and Poroto have stood atop the podium this year.

Scone and Pilot’s paths to the final varied greatly. After winning their first game against Tamera in a narrow 9-8 victory, Scone hit the gas and didn’t look back, delivering decisive wins in the remainder of bracket play and the quarterfinals. 9-goaler Stirling sustained a groin injury prior to the quarterfinals and was replaced by 8-goaler